1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to photographic apparatus, and more particularly, to a one-piece light cone baffle for use in such apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Some of the light entering a camera body through the taking lens enters at such an angle with respect to the optical axis that it does not initially fall upon the image area of the film. This light is not only useless in taking a picture, but the general illumination it causes in the camera body may fog the film (reducing the clairty and sharpness of the film image). Therefore, it has become customary to make the interior of the camera body flat black, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,479,112, so as to absorb as much of the stray light as possible during exposure.
In addition, various structural means have been devised for use as light-absorbers or baffles in a camera. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 259,064 and 993,047, cameras are disclosed having grooves or serrations running transverse to the optical axis that reflect unwanted light away from the light sensitive plate in the camera. U.S. Pat. No. 1,291,405 describes a camera with a folding bellows, each fold of the bellows having baffle plates that project at different angles in order to prevent non-image-forming light from reaching the photosensitive material. Other light-absorbing or scattering means are described in U.K. Pat. No. 838,063 and German Pat. No. 856,547.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,665,618, a multi-piece light baffle structure is described which is inserted into a box type camera. Manufacturing and assembling of the individual pieces of this structure requires considerable expense and time.
Light baffle structures are also incorporated into small pocket cameras, adapted to receive size 110 film cartridges, that have recently been introduced to the photographic market. Such baffles generally comprise several plastic pieces having light-deflecting ridges to reflect unwanted light away from the film in the cameras. In a typical pocket camera, each piece of the baffle is fabricated to fit a particular side of a baffle recess behind the camera taking lens and is fastened within the baffle recess by conventional fasteners.